How many nonprofits exist in Thurston County and in Washington? Why should you care?
Answer: 879
In Thurston County, as of 2020 there were 879 nonprofits designated as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations serving the following areas…
211 of these nonprofits (remember most nonprofits are volunteer-based) employed 6,925 employees or 6.13% of the total employment in Thurston County, resulting in $447.20 million in wages or 6.77% of the workforce in Thurston County.
Why Should You Care?
While there is little debate that the charitable nonprofit sector contributes to the overall health and vitality of Thurston County and every community in Washington State, the sector's economic impact is less often recognized. As we get closer to the “donation season” consider that your contributions to nonprofits not only allow the organization to fulfill its mission, but also allow them to pay their employees who then use that salary to buy groceries, buy cars, and make their rent or mortgage payments.
501(c)(3) Nonprofits are vital to Washington
The most recent 2021 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report produced by Washington Nonprofits indicates that as of 2019, there were 6,557 active 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Washington who employ 252,949 people. Two things to note about nonprofit statistics:
1) the numbers are usually at least one or two years old. The information is based on the annual 990 forms that all nonprofits send to the Internal Revenue Service. Consider this the next time you hear corporate quarterly reports on this news from the for-profit industry.
2) These statistics do not include all those other 501(c) nonprofits that we learned about like Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, etc. The 252,949 employed by 501(c)(3) nonprofits make up 7.31% of the workforce of Washington, which is more than the construction industry or the hospitality industry. Nonprofits contribute to the Washington economy by paying 6.59% of all wages in the state.
The pandemic hit nonprofits
From January to December 2020, the number of jobs in the nonprofit sector fell 6% to 238,032. At the lowest point of the year in May, nonprofit jobs were down 9%. Job losses were not spread evenly across all types of nonprofits. The arts, entertainment, and recreation subsector were hit the hardest during the pandemic. This subsector lost 3,694 employees, or 38% of its workforce, over the course of 2020. Almost every county experienced a significant decrease in nonprofit employment in 2020. The only exceptions are the counties where the nonprofit sector is primarily represented by healthcare and social assistance organizations. The nonprofit sector remains vulnerable and has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic.
This might surprise you
Nonprofit organizations face increased pressures, but the nonprofit sector’s ability to respond to these pressures has been limited by a lack of timely information about how prevailing economic realities affect the sector. According to The Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic Data Project (NED):
Nonprofit Spotlight - Concern for Animals Charity Auction
Concern for Animals assists pet owners who are struggling financially with food, veterinary care, and spay/neuter procedures, and promotes the welfare of all animals. https://www.concernforanimals.org/Concern for Animals will be hosting an online charitable auction starting at 9 a.m. on Mon., Nov. 8 and concluding on Fri., Nov. 13 at 10 p.m.
There is no registration fee, and the only cost is for the purchased (won) items. Auction items include gift certificates from local restaurants (Big Toms, 222 Market Street, Miss Moffett's Mystical Cupcakes), hobby baskets (fishing gear, baking gear, gardening gear), activity certificates (towards kayaking, personal training, art classes, painting party with Mouse the Painting Pig), jewelry from local artists & fine jewelers (Kluh & Panowicz), pet supply baskets, decor items, and even African Safari & Italian vacation packages with 3 year expirations! There's 250+ items so there's something for everyone!
For more details or to participate go to charityauction.bid/toastfortails2021
Soliciting your ideas
That seems like enough education for one column but keep reading for a better understanding of the nonprofits operating in Thurston County and their impact on your life. If you know of a nonprofit that is doing something great, celebrating a success, needs some outstanding volunteers or hosting an event, let me know! This column is intended to celebrate nonprofits!
Mary Beth Harrington lives in Tumwater. She travels the country speaking at conferences and to individual organizations articulating issues facing nonprofits. Send your ideas to her at MaryBeth@theJOLTnews.com
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